To apply for unemployment benefits, complete the UI-1 and mail it to your local RRB office. You can also obtain an application from your railroad employer or union official. Your application must be received at the RRB within 30 days of the first day for which you wish to claim benefits. You may lose benefits if your application is filed late.

Complete only one application during a benefit year even if you become unemployed more than once during that benefit year. When the RRB district office receives your completed application, the RRB will notify your employer that you have applied for benefits. Your employer may respond to the district office with any information relating to your eligibility.

Once we process your application, we will mail you a claim form. You must complete and return the claim to the RRB district office. A notice of your claim will then be sent to your employer.

Read the following instructions carefully before completing your application. If your application is not completed correctly, your benefits may be delayed. Contact your local RRB office if you have questions or need assistance in completing the form.

Section A - Identifying Information

Items 1 - 6 are self-explanatory.

Section B - Employment Information

• Item 7
  • Show in Item 7a the name of the railroad company for which you worked most recently. (For example, "Conrail.")
  • Show in Item 7b the title of your job (for example, "Trainman.")
  • Show in Item 7c the city and state where you last performed your railroad job.
  • Check the box in Item 7d that indicates why you are not now working for your last railroad employer. If you check box 9 "Other," write an explanation in the space provided.
  • If you have quit or resigned any railroad or non railroad job within the past 3 years, answer Item 7e "Yes." You must specify the date you resigned or quit, and the name of your former employer in Items (1) and (2).
  • If you are claiming unemployment benefits because you were discharged or suspended from your last railroad job, you must complete Item 7f (1)-(4). If you are suspended, give both the beginning and ending dates of the suspension period in Item 7f (1).
  • Only complete Item 7g if you are unemployed due to a strike or work stoppage and give the name of your labor union.
     
• Item 8
  • Show in Item 8a the date that you want your first unemployment claim to begin. The date you enter should be the first day after you last worked for either a railroad or non railroad employer and for which you were available for work and did not receive any pay. The date will be the first day of your waiting period.
  • Show in Item 8b the date you last worked for your last railroad employer prior to the date you entered in Item 8a.
     
• Item 9
  Check Item 9 "Yes" if you are covered by a job protection plan under the National Job Stabilization Agreement or under a similar plan. You should also check "Yes" if you are affected by a merger or line sale, and may be entitled to a guaranteed wage. Also enter the name of the employer providing the guarantee.
   
• Item 10
  Check Item 10 "Yes" if you have been paid a severance, termination, or separation allowance or buy-out. In Item 10a, enter the date of separation and in Item 10b, enter the name of the employer that paid the allowance.
   
• Item 11
  If you have been self-employed in the past 2 years or you are currently self-employed, you must answer this question "Yes." In addition, provide the type of self-employment in Item 11a (for example, "tax-preparer," "carpenter"), and the date you were last self-employed in Item 11b.
   
• Item 12
  If you have been employed by a nonrailroad employer in the past 2 years, answer Item 12a "Yes."  Enter the employer name in Item 12a(1),  the employer address in Item 12a(2), your date last worked for that employer in Item 12a(3), your job title in Item 12a(4) and the reason you are not now working for that employer in Item 12a(5).  If you have worked for more than one nonrailroad employer in the past 2 years, answer Item 12b "Yes."

Item 13 is self-explanatory.

Section C - School Information

Item 14 is self-explanatory.

Section D - Other Benefits

• Item 15
  Unemployment benefits under the Act are not payable, or are payable at a reduced amount, if you are also receiving social security benefits, military retirement pay or retainer pay, or any other retirement or survivor benefits provided by law.
  
  If you are receiving any other benefits under any law, answer item 15 "Yes."  Enter the type of benefit(s) in Item 15a, the effective date in Item 15b, and the monthly amount you receive before deductions in Item 15c. 

Section E - Direct Deposit Information

• Item 16
  Federal law requires the RRB to pay your benefits by Direct Deposit. With Direct Deposit, your benefit payments are sent directly to your bank, savings and loan, credit union or other financial institution. Payments are sent electronically, which saves money by eliminating the need to print and mail checks.

Direct Deposit has the following advantages for you. Direct Deposit payments are generally available 2 to 5 days sooner than payment by check. You do not have to worry about a check being lost, stolen, or misplaced, and you can be away from home without the worry of a check sitting unprotected in your mailbox. There is no need to wait for mail delivery of a check or to make a special trip to your bank.

To provide the information we need to correctly deposit your benefit payments, attach a voided personal check to your application or call your financial institution for the information needed to complete items 16a-d.

If you change banks or accounts while claiming benefits, be sure to give the RRB information to establish Direct Deposit in your new account. Do not close your old account until you receive the first RRB payment in your new account.

There are some exceptions that allow payments to be made by check:

• if receiving your payments by Direct Deposit would cause a hardship because you have a physical or mental disability, or because of a geographic, language, or literacy barrier;
• if you do not have a checking or savings account at a bank or other financial institution; or
• if receiving your payment electronically would cause you a financial hardship because it would cost you more than receiving your payments by check. If any of these apply to you, check box (e.) in Item 16.

Section F - Certification And Signature

Item 17 is self-explanatory.